New Plan to Ensures Australian Fisheries Remain World's Best Managed

AUSTRALIA - Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Senator Richard Colbeck, has launched the Fisheries Research and Development Corporations (FRDC) five-year Research, Development and Extension (RD&E) plan for Australias fishing and aquaculture industries.

Senator Colbeck said the 2015–2020 Strategic Plan represents an evolution in the way the FRDC invests in research, outlines a new focus based on three key national priorities, and empowers stakeholders.

“The Plan aims to drive change to benefit Australia’s fishing and aquaculture sectors more broadly. It will ensure these sectors continue to have excellent performance in environmental sustainability as well as business productivity and profitability,” Senator Colbeck said.

“The Plan also focusses on recreational fishers and Indigenous fishers, who derive benefit from fishing activities. Fishing and aquaculture are vital for many rural and regional communities and underpin jobs and livelihoods throughout Australia, it is important that these sectors are appropriately supported.

“It sets out solid targets including increasing the sector’s value by 20 per cent per annum, which will see it grow from A$2.4 billion to A$3.2 billion by 2020, while at the same time improving community satisfaction with the industry.

“Another key target is building Australia’s aquaculture industry and the plan aims to provide the necessary knowledge to underpin the development of new aquaculture species and increase production of those species.

“This plan also recognises the significant capability in leadership for a large number of our sectors and leaders will be empowered to take the lead in prioritising research for their sectors.

Senator Colbeck said Australia’s fisheries are among the best managed in the world, largely as a result of a commitment to investing in good science and applying the outcomes to our fisheries management.

“It’s important that we continue investing in R&D to ensure we remain world-leading fisheries managers. This FRDC RD&E plan puts the industry on a strong footing for the future,” he said.